Our Why
We’re the best choice for city and local government property, liability, workers’ compensation, cyber, and specialized coverages because we were created by local governments, for local governments. Our "why" is "to partner with cities and other local governments to make Texas communities Stronger, Together."
Who We Are
The Pool operates according to a Membership Philosophy that respects the partnership among its Members, rooted in Shared Purpose, which is a collective commitment to providing stability, security, and financial protection for municipalities and municipal interests. Membership in the Pool is not merely transactional; it is a collaborative relationship founded on mutual trust, resource pooling, and the shared goal of safeguarding public services.
Through Collective Resilience, Members enhance their capacity to manage risks and recover from setbacks, ensuring the continuity of vital services for the communities they serve. Each Member has an obligation to act responsibly and in alignment with the Pool's Mission, contributing to the partnership's overall strength and effectiveness.
Recognizing the principle of Equitable Responsibility, the Pool ensures that contributions, benefits, and costs are shared equitably among Members. Governance, eligibility criteria, and rating adjustments (including rates, deductibles, and limits) are applied thoughtfully to address exposures or actions that do not align with the Pool's standards or the spirit of partnership, maintaining fairness and accountability.
Finally, the Pool is committed to Long-Term Sustainability. By adapting to evolving risks and maintaining financial stability, the Pool ensures enduring value and support for its Members, securing the ability to serve municipal interests effectively over time.
What We Do
We provide sustainable economic value, we build and maintain meaningful long-term relationships with our Members, and we act ethically, sustainably, and consistent with our internal Mission Statement:
The Mission of the Texas Municipal League Intergovernmental Risk Pool is to facilitate and empower a partnership amongst Texas municipalities (and other eligible local governments) by providing a stable and economical source of risk financing and loss prevention services.
How We Do It
Our Core Values instruct every decision we make:
- Public Service: Serving the public good — for the benefit of local governments and their tax-paying citizens.
- Fiscal Responsibility: Responsibly managing our members’ pooled funds for the protection of their financial stability.
- Operational Excellence: Delivering excellent member service in all components of our risk financing and loss prevention services.
- Integrity: Serving with honesty, integrity, and professionalism.
Where We Came From
How did the Pool come about? In 1973, the Texas Legislature passed legislation mandating that Texas cities provide workers’ compensation coverage to their employees. At that time, most traditional insurance companies refused to write the coverage or quoted exorbitant rates. For those reasons, the legislation also authorized the creation of the first municipal risk pool in the United States, which was the predecessor of the TML Intergovernmental Risk Pool as we know it today.
The Texas Municipal League and several cities used the 1973 legislation to “pool” their resources. Using contracts called “interlocal agreements,” they created the “Texas Municipal League Workers’ Compensation Joint Insurance Fund.” The Fund began operating on July 1, 1974, with close to 100 members.
Today, the Pool provides workers’ compensation coverage for almost 200,000 local government employees, including 34,000 first responders. An 18-member Board of Trustees — composed primarily of city officials — oversees 250 Pool employees who administer the coverages.
In 1982, cities saw other coverages becoming scarce and expensive, so TML created a liability fund that year and a property fund the following year. (In the mid-1980s, the U.S. insurance market essentially crashed.) According to Time Magazine, that was “a time of frantic efforts to obtain insurance that, at best, was available only in limited amounts with high retentions at exorbitant rates.”
The Pool truly came into its own during that period, and — today — the Pool provides liability coverage to over 2,700 local governments and protects almost $50 billion in local government property.
In 2024, the Pool created a new Cyber Fund to protect Members from that emerging risk. The Pool celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2024, and a series of articles in Texas Town & City magazine chronicle the Pool's entire history. The focus now shifts to serving our Members for the next 50 years by Building for the Future.
The Bottom Line
We were the first municipal risk pool in the nation, and we’ll be here as long as local governments need us.